With a view to provide better and quick services to the pharma manufacturers and traders in the state, the directorate of Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Administration will soon implement high tech facilities including video-conferencing network.
This will help the department to become more industry friendly, and the people of the industry can reduce their travel cost, better use of time and speed up operations. Preparations are now on for adopting state-of-the-art technologies with webcam-connected computers in all the offices of Assistant Drug Controllers (ADCs) and the headquarters to establish a communication network with the support of modern software.
This is the first time in India; a drug control department is going on high-tech to facilitate the regulatory-industry relation all through the state, said M Bhaskaran, director of drugs control administration.
As the first step, the directorate has started online communications with manufacturers who, in future, need not come to the head office for filing applications or knowing their status. They can send the applications to the customer cell which would instantly acknowledge the receipt of documents and the date of issuance will be intimated to the applicants soon. Requests for pending applications can be emailed directly to the HoD who will put the details of each file in the notice board every day in the afternoon. The applications will be scrutinized between 11 am and 1 pm.
Elaborating on the issue, Bhaskaran said that henceforth the manufacturers do not have to waste their time to meet the director in his office to know the status of product endorsement certificates, CoPP, non-conviction certificate, additional endorsements, GMP certificates, renewal of lab licences, loan licences, free sale certificates, change of brand name, market standing certificate etc. For information about these, they can approach the technical cell through email or it will be displayed in the notice board every afternoon. This facility will also enable the manufacturers to be updated with the new guidelines and policies of the government.
The video-conferencing will be between the director and the assistant drug controllers in the zonal offices. Tamil Nadu has a total of 14 zonal offices all of which are being put under the network. According to the drug control director, some special tools and technologies are used to accomplish the facilities for which the government has allotted sufficient fund. Installation of computers, web cameras and software in all offices will require a minimum period of two months and an expert computer solution group has been identified for the purpose. Bhaskaran obviously hopes to hold the official inauguration of the online video-conferencing by February end.
It is learnt that the online communication system will solve the problems of the industry people within one or two days that was previously taking nearly a month time. The facility for online video-conference will be helpful for both department staff and the general public.